Applications of spectroscopic methods in studies of polyoxometalates and their complexes with lanthanide(III) ions

Abstract

Polyoxometalates (POMs), due to their attractive physical and chemical properties, biological significance as well as wide applications, have been the subject of numerous studies. The results of investigations concerning the synthesis, properties and structure of POMs and their lanthanide(III) complexes (LnPOM) are briefly reviewed. Useful techniques for the verification of POM compositions and the determination of components, including new spectrophotometric methods for the determination of tungsten and molybdenum and for simultaneous determination of these elements in structures of POMs and their LnPOM complexes, are described. The important role of the Nd(III) hypersensitive absorption band and Eu(III) luminescence spectroscopy as well as FTIR spectra in the investigation of POMs and LnPOM complexes is discussed. The use of EPR to study magnetic properties and coordination of Gd(III) complexes with POMs, and to probe the local environment of the host metal site in terms of symmetry, is presented.